Can lime juice cook chicken?

[The Curn]

I started cooking a Thai chicken curry last night and just as I'd put the chicken breast in a bowl with lime juice to marinade for an hour or so, we had a power cut. The power cut was going to last all night, so I stuck the bowl in the fridge and retired to bed.

Having just retrieved said bowl, the chicken looks like it has started to cook. The liquid in the bowl also nearly covers the chicken but I only added the juice of 2 limes last night...

It smells fine (in fact quite nice). Any chefs to advise whether I risk cooking it, or bin it?

[TheEnd]

It's been cooking in the fridge?
You must live somewhere pretty cold.

I'd try it out anyway, it's unlikely to have "gone off" whilst being pickled.

(IANAC)

[PedantLosesGrip]

Safe to cook. It's just a very acidic marinade. It might be a bit tough but should be okay.

Fish in lemon/lime juice is cerviche.. it starts to "cooks" the fish with the acid.

Let me guess - it has started to go white/look cooked.

Edited by PedantLosesGrip on Wednesday 8th December 21:17

[tertius]

Lime juice can cook fish, so I don't see why it shouldn't cook chicken. Take a fair bit longer mind.

I'd certainly be happy to use it.

[The Curn]

PedantLosesGrip said:

Safe to cook. It's just a very acidic marinade. It might be a bit tough but should be okay.

Fish in lemon/lime juice is cerviche.. it starts to "cooks" the fish with the acid.

Thanks, I think that the cerviche thing was in the back of my mind...

Yes it has started to go white.

Edited by The Curn on Wednesday 8th December 21:19

[PedantLosesGrip]

Given it's going to be quite tangy you could stick with thai curry... or it would work well as mexican style - fast dry fried with a nice punchy salsa and loads of fresh coriander.

Hmm, mexican...

[The Curn]

Not a bad idea, although I've just noticed that my coriander plant is looking a bit miserable.

Do you think it would keep for another 24 hours in the marinade? I'm getting a bit beyond it now...

[Mobile Chicane]

It might be a bit 'woolly' in texture but should be fine to eat.

As a rule I don't leave anything in a purely acidic marinade for more than 30 minutes.

[DangerousMike]

acid denatures protein, just like heat, which is what turns it white

try cracking an egg into sulphuric acid and see what happens

[TheEnd]

DangerousMike said:

acid denatures protein, just like heat, which is what turns it white

try cracking an egg into sulphuric acid and see what happens

Next time I'm near a vat of acid, and happen to be carrying an egg, I'll try.

[Simpo Two]

DangerousMike said:

acid denatures protein, just like heat, which is what turns it white

try cracking an egg into sulphuric acid and see what happens

Good to see a scientist has arrived!

As for the rise in liquid level I'd guess the juice is drawing water from the chicken by osmosis by virtue of its sugar content.

[neilsfishing]

TheEnd said:

DangerousMike said:

acid denatures protein, just like heat, which is what turns it white

try cracking an egg into sulphuric acid and see what happens

Next time I'm near a vat of acid, and happen to be carrying an egg, I'll try.

I thought that

[DangerousMike]

get some sulfur, burn it and bubble the gases through water..

(do it outside and hold your breath)

[DangerousMike]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E62T3Y-ktFA

[Blown2CV]

acidity can 'cook' meat - there is a chilean dish called ceviche which is seafood 'cooked' in citrus fruit juices.

[Simpo Two]

Guess it depends how you define 'cooking' - the application of heat, or the denaturing of protein. Alpha helices anyone?

[dtmpower]

denaturing chicken meat protein to 'cook' it (*SOFTEN) ready to eat doesn't sound very sensible to me, you need the 70+ degrees temperature inside to make sure any salmonella is killed off.

Although I when visiting Japan, many restaurants serve raw chicken much like they serve salmon and tuna.

[Blown2CV]

dtmpower said:

denaturing chicken meat protein to 'cook' it (*SOFTEN) ready to eat doesn't sound very sensible to me, you need the 70+ degrees temperature inside to make sure any salmonella is killed off.

Although I when visiting Japan, many restaurants serve raw chicken much like they serve salmon and tuna.

but the texture

[alfa pint]

dtmpower said:

denaturing chicken meat protein to 'cook' it (*SOFTEN) ready to eat doesn't sound very sensible to me, you need the 70+ degrees temperature inside to make sure any salmonella is killed off.

Although I when visiting Japan, many restaurants serve raw chicken much like they serve salmon and tuna.

Was the chicken whole or cubed when you marinated it? I'd be concerned about the rawness in the middle of the chicken where the lime juice can't get to it, as well as the very valid point above about listeria and salmonella.